Fire-alarm box.



N. H.. SUREN.

FIRE ALARM BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1912.

1 ,1 58,742. I Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0..WASHINOTON, D. c.

N. H. SUREN.

FIRE ALARM BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1912.

2 SHE.ETSSHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

' nnrrnn snares rarnnr ornron.

NATHAN H. SUREN, F NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GAMEWELL FIRE- ALARM TELEGItAPH GoMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Mir am;

To all whom may concern Be it known that-IfNATHA-N H. sUREN,"

a citizen of the United States, residing at Needham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire Alarmi Boxes, of

which the following is a specification. if

This invention relates to'firealarmflb0xes,

and while some of the features are applicable generally to all kinds of fire alarmboxes, other features are applicable especially to fire-alarm; boxes of the non-interference type; g

In signal-boxes it, isusua-l to arrangethe box-number circuit-controller, or theniember employed to operate same, so thatit is operated by the signal-wheel, and its movement is very short, and as a result the contacts are separated only very short dis tance.

While such distance is sufficient under usual conditions, yetin case the circuit is accidentally energized by a heavy current and the circuit-controller is operated during such time, an arc will be formed between the contacts thereof of such proportions as to endanger the apparatus.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for operating the box-number" circuit-controller by the signal-Wheel so as to separate its contacts more widely than usual, the gap or space formed being wide enough to prevent the formation of a destructive arc, even whenthe circuit is ener gized by a heavy current. This feature is applicable generally to signal-boxes of all kinds. 7 V V In carryingout thisfeature 'of my invention one of the contact-members of the boxnumber circuit-controller is pivotally sup-V ported, whereby it is movable towardand from its fellow contact-member, and may be given a wide range of motion, and a con trolling-lever for said pivotally supported,

contact-member is arranged between said member and the slgnal-wheel, and 1s adapted to be operated by the signal-wheel, but the leverage is increased to such an extent that the distance between the contacts, when separated, is at least several times the'deptli of the interdental spaces in the signal-wheel. Furthermora'as the result which it is desired to attain is the reduction of the arc to such an extent that it is not destructive, the contact-members of the circuit controller are constructed and arranged. toproduce amuk Finn- LARM BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patghted NO 2 1915 Application filed March 7, 1912 Serial No. 682,213. i

tiple break in the circuit, there being a plurality of contacts provided.

Another object of the invention is to provlde said controlling-lever with means whereby-itis adapted to cooperate With the armature-lever of a non-interference magnetin such manner that each operates to hold the other under certain conditions, as for instance, the controlling lever operates to hold the armature-lever in its attracted positlon while the circuit is open at the home box. and the noninterference magnet is deenergized, and to release said armature-lever whilethecircuit is closed at the home box and the non-interference magnet is energized, yet permitting said armaturelever to be moved into its retracted position in case the non-interference magnet fails to hold it;

and the armature-lever operates to hold the controlling-lever free from engagement with the signal-wheel and withthe contacts closed when moved into its retracted position by the failure of the non-interference magnet to hold it, incident to the circuit being open at a distant point when it is closed at the home box; 7 i

- Another object oftheinvention is to provide means operated by the signaling-train for moving the controlling-lever at the end of a signal, to disengagethe signal-wheel and to close the circuit-contacts, and thereafter to hold it in such position while the train isat're'st; and said means is adapted to release said controlling-lever to place it in cooperative relation with the signal-wheel at the end of a predetermined period of time after thesignaling-train is started, during which period of time the armature-lever is free to be moved into its retracted position in case the non-interference magnet becomes deenergized. p p

- Figure 1 is a'front elevation of a noninterference fire-alarm box embodying this invention, the parts being in their normal position. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the parts in the position they will occupyfshortly after the box has been pulled, and when transmitting the first signal-impulse. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa detail showing the parts in the positionthey will occupy when the armature-lever is movedinto its retr'acted posi tion, at the beginning of a signal." Fig is' a detail showlngtheparts in the osition they will occupy when the retracts armaor suitable shunt or shown, the controlling-lever 0 is arranged entirely beneath the contactrmember of and cooperates with the signal-wheel to lift said member. In, case the box is of thesuccessive non-interfering. type it will be provided with a. non-interference magnet (Z, having an armature at, attaohedto an armature-lever (Z pivoted at said armaturelever having apin d extended laterally from it, which is adapted toengage; theend of the locking-lever Normally the box is shunted or cutout of circuit by any usual cut-out switch, not shown, so that its non-interference magnet is normally .deenergized, but'at such time the, in d on the armature-lever en a es the end of the locking-lever e, as'shown in Fig. l, so that said armature-lever is me chanicallyheld in its attracted position by said locking-lever. 'When the box is operated 1n the usual manner it is cutmto cirtheend portion of said lever rises abovethe pind see Fig. :2, thereby disengagingthe armature-lever, and permitting said lever to remain entirely under the influence of the non-interference magnet. In case the circult is open at a ,dlst'ant polnt at such moment said armature-lever will be moved immediatelyby its retractile spring into its retracted position, see Fig. 4,.and when. so

moved its pin d will be moved into a position beneath a tooth e on the end of the. locking-lever, but will not engage said lever as said lever is held in elevated position by the flange a. Said armature-lever also has a pincl, extended laterally from it which is adapted to cooperate with an extension 0 on the controlling-lever c, and in case the circuit is open at a distant point when the box is pulled and the armature-leveris consequently moved into. its retracted position, as above stated and shown in Fig. 4, said pin 6Z moves beneath said extension 0, and acts to hold the controlling-lever in its normal position with the contacts closed until such time as said armature-lever is restored to its normal position. Inv case the circuit is closedwhen the box is pulled and remains closed during the time the pine is passing out of engagement with the. pro-"- *jection o on the controlling-lever, then the armature-lever is held in its attracted position during such time by the non-interference magnet, and as soon as said pin 0 passes out of engagement with sa1d pro ection 0 and the controlling-lever is released,

signal-wheel passes and the first tooth of the beneath the pin 0 the controlling-lever falls into the first interdental space of the signal-wheel, see Fig- 2, to permit the contact-member b to. rise and disengage the contact-member b and thereby open the circuit, and the end of the extension o on the controlling lever is moved to a position op posite the pin (i so as to hold the armaturelever in its attracted position while the circuitis open at the home box. During this regular operation of the box as the controlling-lever is lifted by one of the teeth ofthe signal-Wheeland the contact-member bis correspondingly moved to close the circuits, the extension 0 is moved to a position above thepin d thereby releasing the armature-lever, so that while the circuit is closed at the home box said; armature-lever is held by the non-interference. magnet and is free to respond to a failure of said magnet to hold it,'butlin case said non-interference magnet should fail to hold it, its pin (1 will move beneath the extension 0 on the controlling-lever, and thus hold the controlling-lever in elevated position. with the circuit contact-s closed. Thus it will be seen that the controlling-lever holds the all'l'ltlillIG-lGVQfUIlClQI certain conditions and the locking-lever ,e is moved downward by its actuating-spring 6 and the inclined portion 6 on the end of said lever is brought into engagement with the pin (Z and acts to move said pin (Z and the armature-lever hearing it until said pin (l is brought into engagement with the tooth e on the end of said lever, as shown in Fig. 5. Atthis moment the end of the flange (4' adjacent the notch, which is here shown as slightly inclined, engages one side of the end of the dog and acts to lift said dog andthe locking-lever hearing it, and said locking-lever then disengages the pin (Z but just at this moment said armature-lever is engaged by other means controlled by the train for the purpose of moving said lever into its attracted position mechanically, to again place it under the influence of the non-interference magnet, and said means, as here shown, consists of a pin 7 arranged on one of the train-wheels, as for instance, on a train-wheel secured to the signal-wheel shaft which is adapted to engage the extension 0? on the lower end of the armature-lever for the purpose of thus mechanically moving said lever into its atcircuit is closed when the parts are thus restored then the armatm'edeier is held by the non-interference magnet and the -s gnal will be sent. r

"I-claim: p

1. In a" signal-box", the combination-of a box-number circuit-controller comprising a stationary contact-member and a pivoted contact-member, a' signal wheel and a pivoted controlling-leverhaving a portion'arranged for engagement with the-signal? wheelya-nd a portion arranged-for moving engagement with the pivoted contactmiemher, thus to-provide for movement of said pivoted contact member through a greater are than the depth of the inter'dental'spaces iIrthesignal-Wheel. n H v #221111 a signal-box, the combination of a box-number circuit-controller comprising a stationary contact-member and a pivoted contact-memher, actuating-spring"to move said pivoted contact-memberin one direction, a cam arran'ged on said pivotedcontact-merhber, a pivoted controlling-lever having a portion to engage said cam and-"a portion to engage the signal Wheel, and-a signal-Wheel {to operate said controlling a lever, substantial as described. 3.111 a signal-box. the'eombination of a:

Y Y box nnmber circuit-controller comprising a stationary contact-member and prvoted c011tact-me111her,'tl1e latter bearing a cam, a

signal wlie'el, and movable means operatedsaid pivoted contact-memher, substantially.

as described.

5 11 asignal box; thegcon'ihination of V bonnuinber circuit-controller comprising a stationary contact-member and: a pwoted contact-member, a signal-Wheel, and a pi'v- Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor oted controlling-lever having a portion '31- ranged for engagement with "the signal Wheel, and a portion'arra-nged'for-movmg engagement With the pivoted contact mem-g ber, thusto provide:formovement of. said ivoted; contact-member" througha greater are thanthedepth of the interdent-al spaces in the signal Wheel, arid-"means operated by the signaling train to move sa idf controlling lever out offi'vengagenient Withithe'signal- Wheel an'di to canse amer-er to move-the pivoted contact {member nto engagement with thefstatIonary contact-member" at the periodoftime at the beginning substantially as described."

e. In a sign'albox',the ejombiiiaabmr a b'orennrn'ber IciTciiit-oofitrgjller comprising; a

stationary Contact --me'rnloeri and a pivoted contact me'mber; air 'act nating spring for moving said pivoted 'comaeemember{ ue of engagement with the -tationary cont'act':

i'nembe'rra" sigHalPWheeLQ a -pivoted 'control ling-lever arranged for cooperationfwithg 7 said pivoted contact inember and signalwheel to provlde for. amo'vement o'fsa d contact-memberthrougliffa Wide range of motion, thereby-to Widel'j separate the coin tacts, andixmeans operated by. the signaling train to more said controlling-lever out engagement Wfitlrthe signal Wheel and "to cause" said lever to move the pivoted contact-member against the force of its. actuatihgsprin'g into e'ngagement' with the. eta-.-

tiona-ry contaet-memberflat' theend of a signal, permi'ttlngthe; release of said controlling-lever aftera prolonged perlod of time at the beginning of a signal, substantially as described. E

In testimony whereof I haVe signed I nanie to this" specification; in the presence oil two subscribing Witnesses;

, NATHAN Witnesses: I

CHARLEs MonLToN, EDWARD J. COLE A five cents eaeh,-by addressing the Gbm'missihn'er Patents, 7 washimgto'ng nfica 1 

